Al-Qaeda spokesman daughter granted Kuwaiti citizenship

The baby daughter of Suleiman Abu Ghaith, spokesman for Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network, has been granted Kuwaiti citizenship, in spite of her father having been stripped of his nationality, the interior minister announced.

According to the emirate's law, a child is not entitled to citizenship unless the father is Kuwaiti. Abu Ghaith was stripped of his nationality last October because of his alleged connections to the September 11 terror attacks on United States cities.

Abu Ghaith, who taught Islamic studies in Kuwait until June 2001, has frequently appeared on Qatar's Al-Jazeera satellite channel since the United States launched its war on terror in Afghanistan.

His most recent appearance was last April when he said the September 11 suicide hijackers had been driven by "Islamic" considerations, AFP reported.

In addition, the al-Qaeda spokesman appeared in a tape apparently recorded in December and aired in April by Saudi-owned MBC television to claim responsibility for the attacks on New York and Washington.

He was quoted earlier this month by Al-Hayat as saying that al-Qaeda will strike again against the United States and with at least the same force as on September 11. (albawaba.com)